


Always By Your Side

by VioletsFinch



Category: Five Feet Apart (2019)
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:21:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletsFinch/pseuds/VioletsFinch
Summary: They were in second grade, and Jason knew that Will was different.[Jason's perspective of Will from the time they were children.]
Kudos: 11





	Always By Your Side

They were in second grade, and Jason knew that Will was different. 

He knew because when they played in the cold, his mom would get scared. 

He knew because Will could never sleep over and always had to go home early. 

He didn’t mind. 

Will was his best friend. 

—

They had been friends for years, but this was the first time Jason was allowed in Will’s room.

“It’ll just make me look pathetic,” Will had said. 

“You always look pathetic,” Jason joked back. 

Now, Will wearily eyed him as he opened the door. 

Equipment lined the walls. Things that Jason had never seen before. 

Piles of pill bottles were collected on his nightstand. 

But it was the art that took Jason’s breath away. 

Portraits, sketches, paintings, cartoons. 

“Dude.”

“I know, I-“

“You should submit these. To an art show, I mean.”

Will shifted, unsure of himself. 

“Yeah,” he smiled. 

—

When Jason met Hope in high school, he knew he was in love right away. 

“Will coughs a lot,” she said once. 

Jason paused. 

“He has cystic fibrosis.” He explained his best friend’s disease, choosing his words carefully. 

“He’s terminal.”

Hope flinched. “Shit.”

“Yeah. But a lot of people with CF are able to live into their forties.” He added optimistically. 

But Jason knew Will probably wouldn’t see his forties. He thought about how his coughs had been growing stronger, his breathing weaker. He had begun to count the times he had to take a break when they were walking together. He thought about all the times Will couldn’t catch his breath. 

“He’ll make it to his forties, at least,” Jason told himself. 

—

When Will opened the door, Jason tried not to stare at the plastic tubes giving his friend oxygen. Will fiddled with it, clearly uncomfortable. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Will said. “It’s just for the walk to school.”

Jason hesitated. “You’ve never needed it before.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged. “There’s the whole B. Cepacia issue.”

Will had spent the weekend in the hospital with some kind of bacteria. Jason tried not to worry. Will had spent nights in the hospital before, and he had used oxygen while he was there or when he was sick. 

When they reached the block their school is on, Will opened the bag for his oxygen tank, switched it off and pulled the tubes off his face. Jason watched him as he carefully wrapped them up and put them in the bag. 

“Don’t you need that?” He frowned. 

“Nah, just for the walk, remember?”

He could tell Will was already struggling. 

“We’re almost there,” Will assured him. 

When they got to the building, he shoved the oxygen tank in his locker. 

“Dude,” Jason said cautiously.

“I’m fine,” Will laughed. 

Between classes, Will moved slowly. He leaned on the lockers as they talked and on their way to lunch, he slumped against one to sit. 

“Will? Will.” Jason grabbed his shoulders. Hope watched in horror. 

Will laughed a little. “You guys are so serious.” He coughed. “I just- I just need to sit down for a minute. I’m-“ he coughed again. “I’m a little lightheaded.”

“It’s because you can’t breathe, dumb ass.” Jason hit him lightly in the shoulder. Will grinned. 

“That’s sort of my thing, remember?”

“Hope, stay here with him.” She nodded. Jason hurried over to Will’s locker and retrieved his oxygen tank. When he came back, Will’s eyes were closed. 

“Will, hey.” Will opened his eyes and widened them at the oxygen tank.

“I’m not using that at school. Everyone will see,” he protested. 

“Come on, Will. At least until you’re breathing’s better,” Hope coaxed. 

Will went into a coughing fit. Even more breathless than before, he simply nodded. Jason carefully turned it on and nestled it under Will’s nose. 

They sat there for a while. Will’s harsh breathing was the only sound filling the silence. 

Eventually, the school nurse found them and Will was sent home. 

—

Will wasn’t coming back to school. They wouldn’t be spending their senior year together. 

“You know my mom,” Will said. “She just wants to drag me all over the world. Try to cure me or whatever. She’s just being dramatic.” 

But Jason knew the truth. He had Googled “B. Cepacia” just earlier that day. 

“Well, remember to get your ass back here when she’s over it.”

Will rolled his eyes but smiled. The oxygen cannula was now always in his nose. 

— 

It was months before Jason saw Will in person again. He looked worse. 

Jason was just glad he was back in the city. Even if he was stuck in the hospital. 

“Bust me out of here,” Will said. “Let’s go to a movie. Right now. I’m sick of sitting around.”

“You would still be sitting around, just in front of a giant screen,” Jason pointed out. 

“You know what I mean.”

Jason shook his head. “If we get caught I’m never gonna be allowed to visit you, man. You know that.”

Jason didn’t voice his true fears; that if they left, Will would miss his treatments. He knew that he hated them, but Jason hoped they would save his best friend’s life. 

—

After Will’s surprise birthday party, Jason stared at the ceiling. Will had just shared the news with him; Poe had died. 

“Are you alright?” Hope whispered. 

“What if...” his eyes watered. “What if Will is next?”

—

Will was 18. He and Stella had broken up. Will shared his deal with his mother with Jason. 

“So,” he grinned. “Will you go with me?”

Travel the world with his best friend?

It was a no-brainer. 

“Deal.”


End file.
